Story on Abul Kalam Hawlader

“CRPAR Project has improved my life. Now I can maintain my family. I am coming out from darkness of hopeless poverty”- said 35 years old Md. Abul Kalam Howlader, a beneficiary of CRPARP. He was born and brought up in the
Sadar Range under Barisal Sadar Upazila. In his family he has seven family members including him.

Abul Kalam Howlader has no cultivable land. Poverty was hitting him badly. He had no livelihood option. He used to work temporarily in the local area to maintain his family. Sometimes he used to catch fish and would sell in the local
market. But the income from fishing was not enough to run his family as he does not have proper equipments for fishing i.e., fishing net etc. At that time, he came to know about the Project- Climate Resilient Participatory Afforestation and Reforestation Project (CRPARP). Abul Kalam wanted to be a core beneficiary of CRPARP. Following the prerequisite conditions, criteria and eligibility to be a beneficiary of the project, Abul Kalam was selected as a core beneficiary and got work in the Nursery Center in seed bed preparation. For eighteen months
Abul Kalam is working in the Nursery Center of Sadar Range under Barisal Sadar Upazila. He earns 300 taka as daily wage. As of now, he earned 1,62,000 tk. He has no other source of income. Abul Kalam’s brother works as a temporary watcher on the Barisal-Bhola highway strip plantation site and earns some money. But the whole family depends on the income of Abul Kalam from Nursery Center. After associating with CRPARP, Abul Kalam and his
family’s condition improved gradually. Now, he maintains his family moderately, he can provide three times meals of his family members and also can bear the educational expenses of his school going child.

Other people of Abul Kalam’s Locality came to know about Nursery Center from him. They also became interested and want to work in the Nursery Center. Abul Kalam told them to meet Forest Department CRPARP officials. People of his locality come to him for his advice as he could change his situation from dark and hopeless poverty. Abul Kalam knows very well the nursery bed preparation work to plantation process. He could create his own spot in his
community. CRPARP helped him to make his mark in his community by creating employment opportunity for him in the Nursery Center.

Abul Kalam attends the Community Consultation Meetings organized by the Range Officers, Beat Officers and the Community Mobilization Officers (CMOs) during the plantation time. Following him many other beneficiaries attend the Community Consultation Meetings.

Abul Kalam is happy with his family and expressed his gratitude towards CRPARP. In this way, CRPARP is helping the poor and land less beneficiaries to come out of poverty and lead a contented life.